"If you think this worthy of attention, you will be pleased to take a convenient opportunity of mentioning it to Lord North. If his Lordship should happily approve of it, I shall have the fatisfaction of having been, in some degree, the humble inftrument of doing my country, in my opinion, a very effential service. I know your good-nature, and your zeal for the publick welfare, will plead my excuse for giving you this trouble. I am, with the greatest respect, Sir,

"Your most obedient and humble fervant,

"New-ftreet, March 30, 1771.

WILLIAM STRAHAN."

This recommendation we know was not effectual; but how, or for what reafon, can only be conjectured. It is not to be believed that Mr. Strahan would have applied, unless Johnson had approved of it. I never heard him mention the fubject; but at a later period of his life, when Sir Joshua Reynolds told him that Mr. Edmund Burke had faid, that if he had come early into parliament, he certainly would have been the greatest speaker that ever was there, Johnson exclaimed, "I fhould like to try my hand now."

It has been much agitated among his friends and others, whether he would have been a powerful speaker in Parliament, had he been brought in when advanced in life. I am inclined to think, that his extenfive knowledge, his quickness and force of mind, his vivacity and richness of expreffion, his wit and humour, and above all his poignancy of farcafm, would have had great effect in a popular affembly; and that the magnitude of his figure, and striking peculiarity of his manner, would have aided the effect. But I remember it was observed by Mr. Flood, that Johnson having been long used to fententious brevity and the fhort flights of converfation, might have failed in that continued and expanded kind of argument, which is requifite in ftating complicated matters in publick fpeaking; and as a proof of this he mentioned the fuppofed fpeeches in Parliament written by him for the magazine, none of which, in his opinion, were at all like real debates. The opinion of one who is himself fo eminent an orator, must be allowed to have great weight. It was confirmed by Sir William Scott, who mentioned, that Johnson had told him, that he had several times tried to speak in the Society of Arts and Sciences, but " had found he could not get on." From Mr. William Gerard Hamilton I have heard, that Johnson, when obferving to him that it was prudent for a man who had not been accustomed to speak in publick to begin his fpeech in as fimple a manner as poffible, acknowledged that he rofe in that Y y 2 fociety

1771.

Ætat. 62.

1771.

fociety to deliver a fpeech which he had prepared; "but (faid he,)' all' Etat. 62. my flowers of oratory forfook me." I however cannot help wifhing, that he had "tried his hand" in parliament; and I wonder that ministry did not make the experiment.

I at length renewed a correfpondence which had been too long difcontinued:

"MY DEAR SIR,.

To Dr. JOHNSON.

Edinburgh, April 18, 1771.

"I CAN now fully understand those intervals of filence in your correfpondence with me, which have often given me anxiety and uneafinefs; for although I am confcious that my veneration and love for Mr. Johnson have never in the least abated, yet I have deferred for almost a year and a half to write to him."

In the fubfequent part of this letter, I gave him an account of my comfortable life as a married man, and a lawyer in practice at the Scotch bar; invited him to Scotland, and promised to attend him to the Highlands, and Hebrides.

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"IF you are now able to comprehend that I might neglect to write without diminution of affection, you have taught me, likewife, how that neglect may be uneasily felt without refentment. I wished for your letter a long time, and when it came, it amply recompenfed the delay. I never was fo much pleased as now with your account of yourself; and fincerely hope, that between publick business,, improving studies, and domestick pleasures, neither melancholy nor caprice will find any place for entrance. Whatever philofophy may determine of material nature, it is certainly true of intellectual nature, that it abbors a vacuum: our minds cannot be empty; and evil will break in upon them, if they are not pre-occupied by good. My dear Sir, mind your studies, mind your business, make your lady happy, and be a good Chriftian. After this,

- triftitiam et metus Trades protervis in mare. Creticum

• Portare ventis.'

"If we perform our duty, we shall be safe and steady, Sive per,' &c. whether we climb the Highlands, or are toft among the Hebrides; and I hope the time will come when we may try our powers both with cliffs and water. I fee but little of Lord Elibank, I know not why; perhaps by my own fault. I am this day going into Staffordshire and Derbyshire for fix weeks. I am, dear Sir,

1771.

Ætat. 62.

"WHEN I came to Lichfield, I found that my portrait had been much vifited, and much admired. Every man has a lurking wish to appear confiderable in his native place; and I was pleased with the dignity conferred by fuch a testimony of your regard.

"Be pleased, therefore, to accept the thanks of, Sir,

"Your most obliged

"THE bearer of this, Mr. Beattie, Profeffor of Moral Philosophy at Aberdeen, is defirous of being introduced to your acquaintance. His genius and learning, and labours in the fervice of virtue and religion, render him very worthy of it; and as he has a high esteem of your character, I hope you will give him a favourable reception. I ever am, &c.

JAMES BOSWELL."

In October I again wrote to him, thanking him for his last letter, and his obliging reception of Mr. Beattie; informing him that I had been at Alnwick lately, and had good accounts of him from Dr. Percy.

In his religious record of this year, we obferve that he was better than ufual, both in body and mind, and better satisfied with the regularity of his

conduct.

1771.

Ætat. 62.

1772.

conduct. But he is ftill "trying his ways" too rigorously. He charges him-
felf with not rifing early enough; yet he mentions what was furely a fufficient
excufe for this, fuppofing it to be a duty seriously required, as he all his life
appears to have thought it.
"One great hindrance is want of reft; my noc-
turnal complaints grow lefs troublesome towards morning; and I am tempted
to repair the deficiencies of the night." Alas! how hard would it be if this
indulgence were to be imputed to a fick man as a crime. In his retrospect
on the following Eafter Eve, he fays, "When I review the last year, I am
able to recollect fo little done, that fhame and forrow, though perhaps too
weakly, come upon me." Had he been judging of any one elfe in the fame.
circumftances, how clear would he have been on the favourable fide. How
very difficult, and in my opinion almost conftitutionally impoffible it was for
him to be raised early, even by the strongest resolutions, appears from a note
in one of his little paper books, (containing words arranged for his Dictionary,)
written, I fuppofe, about 1753: " I do not remember that fince I left Oxford,
I ever rofe early by mere choice, but once or twice at Edial, and two or three
times for the Rambler." I think he had fair ground enough to have quieted
his mind on this fubject, by concluding that he was physically incapable of
what is at best but a commodious regulation.

In 1772 he was altogether quiefcent as an authour; but it will be found, from the various evidences which I fhall bring together, that his mind was acute, lively, and vigorous.

"DEAR SIR,

To Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

"BE pleased to fend to Mr. Banks, whofe place of refidence I do not know, this note, which I have fent open, that, if you pleafe, you may

<< SIR,

To JOSEPH BANKS, Efq.

"Perpetua ambitá bis terrâ præmia laɛtis

"Hæc habet altrici Capra fecunda Jovis "."

"I RETURN thanks to you and to Dr. Solander for the pleåfure which I received in yesterday's converfation. I could not recollect a motto for your Goat, but have given her one. You, Sir, may perhaps have an epick poem from fome happier pen than, Sir,

"Johnfon's-court, Fleet

ftreet, Feb. 27, 1772.

"Your most humble fervant,

SAM. JOHNSON."

To Dr. JOHNSON.

Edinburgh, March 3, 1772.

"MY DEAR SIR, "IT is hard that I cannot prevail on you to write to me oftener. But I am convinced that it is in vain to expect from you a private correspondence with any regularity. I muft, therefore, look upon you as a fountain of wisdom, from whence few rills are communicated to a distance, and which must be approached at its fource, to partake fully of its virtues.

*

"I am coming to London foon, and am to appear in an appeal from the Court of Seffion in the House of Lords. A fchoolmaster in Scotland was, by a court of inferiour jurisdiction, deprived of his office for being fomewhat severe in the chastisement of his scholars. The Court of Seffion confidering it to be dangerous to the intereft of learning and education to leffen the dignity of teachers, and make them afraid of too indulgent parents, inftigated by the complaints of their children, restored him. His enemies have appealed to the Houfe of Lords, though the falary is only twenty pounds a year. I was Counsel for him here. I hope there will be little fear of a reversal; but I must beg to have your aid in my plan of fupporting the decree. It is a general question, and not a point of particular law.

"I am, &c.

JAMES BOSWELL."

Thus tranflated by a friend :

"In fame scarce fecond to the nurse of Jove,

"This Goat, who twice the world had travers'd round,

"Deferving both her mafter's care and love,

"Fafe and perpetual pasture now has found."

1772.

Etat. 63.

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